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21. September 2014: Restaurant Chiltern Firehouse

| November 17, 2014 | 0 Comments

It is quite a task to get a reservation at this place. I tried to book on short notice in July when I visited London the last time – no chance. So this time I booked way in advance (in July) for this occasion and had my booking confirmed. However, you have to call 48 hours in advance to re-confirm your seating, which I did, only to be informed that they did not have a booking. After some emails back and forth, it was finally sorted (obviously, the restaurant’s fault) and we were able to have lunch there.

Starting with something to share first up were “cornbread fingers with chipotle-maple butter” (GBP 2.00) which was quite a great dish. The cornbread fingers are of perfectly light consistency and went well with the chipotle-maple butter as it provided sweetness the whole dish.

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Next up were the “Spicy Tuna Devilled Eggs with English mustard” (GBP 6.00). Although they did not look appealing at all, they were absolutely so taste-wise.

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As a starter I then went for the “steak tartare, pine nuts, chipotle & firehouse hot sauce” (GBP 14.00). The steak tartare is served with anchovies, onions, radish, and pickles as well as an egg yolt. The “toast” is very thin and crispy bread (making it a bit difficult to eat). However, the meat was absolutely delicious – as was the whole dish. Not the best meat I have had for tartare but definitely a perfectly aligned combination of various tastes which went together very well.

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My main course, the “monkfish cooked over pine, puffed barley, fennel” (GBP 28.00) was very interesting. The fish was a bit dry but still of a nice consistency. the puffed barley was somehow like cereals in the morning but provided the whole dish with this crispiness which was great. As a side I had “Lettuce Hearts” (GBP 5.00) which was rather boring and not worth mentioning.

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With regards to the place – the Chiltern Firehouse is definitely atmospheric, posh-ish, and the crowd is good. But the hype around it is something I do not entirely understand as there was not really anything fancy about it. Also, the tables were only filled to approximately 70% – which makes me wonder if the whole “it is so difficult to get a table ahead” is only fuzz. However, the service is dedicated, professional and nice – but forgot to bring me my Bloody Mary I had initially ordered. With regards to the wine list you can find wines for GBP 2’000.00 and above but also rather fine wines for fair prices (e.g. a bottle of “Rosso di Montalcino, 2011” accounts for GBP 65.00).

Overall, the Restaurant Chiltern Firehouse is a very nice place to enjoy your brunch – atmospheric, good crowd, professional service and good food – for quite fair prices. However, the whole “fuzz” about how fancy this place is is something I do not quite understand. Still, worth going.

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Contact Details:

Restaurant Chiltern Firehouse

Chiltern Street 1

W1U 7PA London (UK)

Tel.: +44 20 70 73 76 76

E-Mail: reservations@chilternfirehouse.com

Homepage: http://www.chilternfirehouse.com

About the Author:

I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org. Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City.
GBP 193.65 Filed in: London (UK), Restaurants
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